Nika Mapleshttp://nikamaples.com
writer | speaker | hope hunterSat, 24 Nov 2018 14:30:00 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.9https://i0.wp.com/nikamaples.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cropped-2019_favicon.jpg?fit=32%2C32Nika Mapleshttp://nikamaples.com
3232The author of Twelve Clean Pages and Hunting Hope, Nika Maples is a writer, speaker, and lupus and stroke survivor who loves nothing more than to share encouragement. She also loves to share laughter. You'll find some of both here.Nika MaplescleanNika Maplesmaples05@gmail.commaples05@gmail.com (Nika Maples)Nika MaplesWhere we keep going after the heart of God because He's our only hope.Nika Mapleshttp://nikamaples.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/2019_podcast_smaller.jpghttp://nikamaples.com
TV-GFort Worth, TexasweeklyPraying When It’s Hardhttp://nikamaples.com/praying-when-its-hard/
Sat, 24 Nov 2018 14:30:00 +0000http://nikamaples.com/?p=2795When it is hard for me to pray, I turn to a tiny library of three books that have grown to mean a lot to me. They are one of the resources I point toward first when people ask me how to pray effectively for their children, husband, or friends. This tiny library is the...

]]>When it is hard for me to pray, I turn to a tiny library of three books that have grown to mean a lot to me. They are one of the resources I point toward first when people ask me how to pray effectively for their children, husband, or friends.

This tiny library is the Power of a Praying … series by Stormie Omartian. She offers 30 days of prayers on certain subjects of great concern to all of us. Bible-verses support every prayer written in the book. I pray through them by the day of the month, meaning, if it is the 14th day of the month, then I will pray prayer #14.

I first purchased The Power of a Praying Wife to have a guide in praying for the men in my family. I even wrote over the word “Wife” on the cover, penning “Sister” in gold ink. As I read through The Power of a Praying Sister, I changed all of the pronouns, of course, so that whenever a marriage relationship was specifically referenced, I mentioned a name other than mine. For instance, when I read sentences like, “Let me be continue to be his best friend, I would say instead, “Let his wife continue to be his best friend.” Over time, I witnessed the tremendous impact these Scripture-based prayers were having in the lives of these men, so I made a longer list, about 50 men who are significant to me, and pasted it in the back of the book. About one per week, I say all of the names aloud, then turn to the prayer for the day and read it one time for all of the men at once.

I now do the same thing with The Power of a Praying Woman, which has a list in the back of 50 or so women who are special to me.

And I do the same with The Power of a Praying Parent, which lists 50 kids I treasure, whether my own nieces and nephew or the children of close friends. At first, I wrote Power of a Praying Aunt in gold, but it has since rubbed off, just like Sister has rubbed off my Praying Wife book.

At first, I did not feel that I was praying authentically when I prayed prayers that were written by someone else. But then again, I do not have a problem singing praise songs that someone else has written. If I had to write all of my own praise songs in order to feel like I was authentically worshiping, I would be in trouble.

So most of my prayer time is original, but once a week, I add a pre-written prayer for the men, women, and children I love. This helps me get specific on days when praying is easy, but it also helps on days when prayer is hard. If I am particularly distracted, reading through the prayer, keeps me focused. The best reason to stay grounded in The Power of a Praying … books? They keep me from focusing only on my own needs.

I cannot recommend this prayer resource enough! If you are interested in deepening your prayer life by focusing on the needs of others more than on your own list of requests for God, I suggest trying on of the Power of a Praying … books. You will be so glad you did.

]]>Our List of Things To Dohttp://nikamaples.com/our-list-of-things-to-do/
Sat, 17 Nov 2018 14:25:06 +0000http://nikamaples.com/?p=2790Today I came across a verse that left me mute. I’d read it a thousand times, had seen it emblazoned on mugs and posters and all manner of faith-phernalia. But it is another thing to paint it across my heart. Today, there are things I would like to address in a friendship, hard conversations I...

Today I came across a verse that left me mute. I’d read it a thousand times, had seen it emblazoned on mugs and posters and all manner of faith-phernalia.

But it is another thing to paint it across my heart.

Today, there are things I would like to address in a friendship, hard conversations I am ready to have. I didn’t sleep well last night, thinking about how I would phrase certain complaints. Instead of resting, I crafted my defense. This morning, I showered and readied, then sat down to read the Bible and pray, asking for His strength as I go about my confrontation later in the day.

Shh. Do not open your mouth to correct anyone. This is not the business I have for you today. I have other things for you to do, I heard Him say.

True, I had much on my plate, but I had planned to make the hard conversation part of it.

Shh. Do only what I ask of you, He said.

Uggh! Defending myself was not on the list of things God had planned for me today, as I was hoping it would be. I scowled a bit, turning the Bible page, thinking, If I don’t correct this behavior, then won’t it happen again? Isn’t Dr. Phil right when he says, “You teach people how to treat you?” This led me to bigger questions: Can I trust the Holy Spirit to handle my relationships? To defend me? Do I have to defend myself?

I didn’t like that God was asking me to overlook the offense, but I chose to obey and stay mute on the subject. Still, I immediately started to stew a little, thinking about how unfair it was to “just let something go.” Then my finger fell on the last verse of my Bible reading today.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22

It would be my choice whether I would obey God with a smile or a scowl on my face. If I chose obedience with a smile, then God would use positivity like medicine for me, healing my hairline-fractured heart. If I chose to obey with a scowl, then what was broken would stay broken. I would lose strength by the minute, accomplishing very little today. It may not feel like it, but good cheer is a choice. In the hours since I found this verse, I have been tempted to wander back into a bad attitude. But I have too much to do today, and I need my strength for all it. So I smile on purpose and say this verse outloud and wander back into cheerfulness. The fake smile becomes genuine almost instantly.

God has business for us today. Holding grudges is not on the list. Making corrections may not be either. Let’s speak to Him before we speak correction to other people. The Lord may redirect us to more important tasks.

Let’s obey with smiles on our faces. We have quite a list of Things To Do. We want to have strength for all He has for us.

]]>S02, Episode 16: God’s Plan Ain’t That Fragilehttp://nikamaples.com/s02-episode-16-gods-plan-aint-that-fragile/
Fri, 25 May 2018 20:22:40 +0000http://nikamaples.com/?p=3770Proverbs 16 reminds us that we don’t have get everything little thing right in order to live out God’s plan for us. It doesn’t all depend on us. You and I can stop regretting our past mistakes and confidently move forward in His blessing. SaveSave

Proverbs 16 reminds us that we don’t have get everything little thing right in order to live out God’s plan for us. It doesn’t all depend on us. You and I can stop regretting our past mistakes and confidently move forward in His blessing.

]]>Proverbs 16 reminds us that we don’t have get everything little thing right in order to live out God’s plan for us. It doesn’t all depend on us. You and I can stop regretting our past mistakes and confidently move forward in His blessing. SaveSave
Proverbs 16 reminds us that we don’t have get everything little thing right in order to live out God’s plan for us. It doesn’t all depend on us. You and I can stop regretting our past mistakes and confidently move forward in His blessing.
SaveSave]]>Nika Maplesclean17:19Starting the Project God Put on Your Hearthttp://nikamaples.com/starting-project-god-put-heart/
Thu, 17 May 2018 14:41:45 +0000http://nikamaples.com/?p=3841Right now, I am wrapping up a writing project that God put on my heart. Finishing a manuscript is a lot of frustration and a lot of fun. In a couple days, it will be time to begin my favorite part: going back to page one and reading through everything I have written, tweaking and...

Right now, I am wrapping up a writing project that God put on my heart. Finishing a manuscript is a lot of frustration and a lot of fun. In a couple days, it will be time to begin my favorite part: going back to page one and reading through everything I have written, tweaking and rearranging and deleting.

I have written four manuscripts in my lifetime. Twelve Clean Pages (2011) was self-published,Hunting Hope (2016) and Everyday Genesis (2017) were traditionally published, and one finished manuscript has not been published at all … yet. The one I am now finishing will be my fifth. Yet, this project is different from any other writing project I have done because it is fiction.

I have always wanted to write fiction, but I never have because it scared me. When I say I have always wanted to write fiction, I mean ALWAYS. My earliest writing memories are of me at 10 years old, sitting at a typewriter in my bedroom, inventing stories about the high jinks of Texas teenagers who go on a school field trip to London, England. And another one about a girl who moves from Mississippi to Fort Worth and doesn’t get a chance to make friends because she catches a deadly case of the measles.

After elementary school, I never wrote fiction again. Never even attempted it. I told myself I wouldn’t be any good as a fiction writer. That some people are meant to write fiction, and I am not one of them. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that fiction was what God had next for me. I sensed that He wanted to partner with me, and we would have fun. He kept following me around like an eager neighborhood kid, saying, “Can you come out and play?”

But I didn’t see fiction as a playground slide that would be fun to climb. I saw it as a mountain that would be hard to climb. So I kept closing the door in God’s face and telling Him, “Not today. Come back later.”

Then, a few months ago, I got this text.

My reply was something along the lines of: That’s a cool thing to ask, and all, but I’m not really afraid of anything, so I’d have to think long and hard to try to figure out something for you to pray for. How about I sleep on it and tell you tomorrow?

And when I hit send on that text, God replied in my heart before Allison had a chance to reply in my phone: You’re afraid of fiction.

So I wrote back right away and told her I was scared to write fiction. As I typed it to her, my upper lip started to sweat. I shivered with cold chills. My heart raced. I felt nauseated. Even texting the word fiction made me afraid. But in giving that answer to Allison, I was facing my fear for the first time, and if that was the shaky place I had to start, then so be it.

I tell you that story to let you know I understand what you are feeling if God has put a project on your heart that scares you out of your mind. And I came across two verses this morning that you just have to see. I believe they skate together gracefully.

Here is the first verse: “All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the One who sent Me, because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end” John 9:4.

And here is the second verse:

“The Red Seasaw them coming and hurried out of their way!The water of the Jordan River turned away.The mountains skipped like rams,the hills like lambs!What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?Why, mountains, did you skip like rams?Why, hills, like lambs?” Psalm 114:3-6

Obviously, in the first verse Jesus is saying we need to quit wasting time and get after it because we aren’t going to be here much longer. You can read that verse and still feel afraid. You can know that you need to start a project and still see nothing but obstacles between you and finishing it.

That is why I love the second verse. When God’s people were on their way to the Promised Land, they became terrified about all the obstacles on their journey. But they didn’t have to be afraid! When they approached the obstacle of a sea, the sea hurried out of their way. When they approached the obstacle of a river, the river retreated. When they approached the obstacles of mountains and hills, both of them skipped away! Nothing was left in the Israelite’s path. Nothing was going to stand between the people and the promise.

Your project may be writing a book. It may be starting a business. It may be homeschooling your kids for the first time. It may be applying for a job that feels beyond you. Go ahead! Approach that obstacle and watch it move! Nothing is going to stand between you and the promise.

That is what I am declaring over you today because I know it has been true for me. In only five months, I have completed a project that I spent 35 years avoiding. And why did I finally begin? Because a friend dared me to. And she prayed that God would provide all I need along the way.

So let me be the friend who is daring you to start. And let me pray that, very soon, you will be able to say of those rock-solid obstacles in your path:

He turned the rock into a pool of water;yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. Psalm 114:8

]]>Be Careful What You Promisehttp://nikamaples.com/be-careful-what-you-promise/
Mon, 22 Jan 2018 14:00:26 +0000http://nikamaples.com/?p=3830When I was in elementary school, my mother made my brother and me homemade costumes for trick-or-treating every October. One year, we were Raggedy Ann and Andy, wearing calico jumpers and wigs made from red yarn that she had pulled, strand by strand, through a pair of stockings we stretched over our heads. Another year,...

When I was in elementary school, my mother made my brother and me homemade costumes for trick-or-treating every October. One year, we were Raggedy Ann and Andy, wearing calico jumpers and wigs made from red yarn that she had pulled, strand by strand, through a pair of stockings we stretched over our heads. Another year, He was a pirate, and I was a baby doll (the sweet and innocent kind, circa 1984, not the kind you find in the costume racks at Walmart these days). Sometimes my mother sewed the costumes from patterns, like my poodle skirt and those Raggedy Ann and Andy get-ups. But even when they were created from a mishmash of items we had around the house, I thought we had the best costumes around.

Later, as an adult, I offered to make a homemade Halloween costume for a boy who was a family friend. At the time, he was ten. I promised him that homemade costumes could be just as good or better than purchased costumes. I promised him I was an experienced seamstress and creative enough to make him anything he wanted. I promised him a trip to Hancock Fabrics to look through the pattern books. He was excited.

I pictured creating a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle by painting tortoise shell on a backpack. I pictured creating a police officer by wrapping a piece of cardboard in tin foil for a badge. I pictured creating a cowboy by sewing some fake leather chaps to wear over his jeans.

Below, you can see some costumes I have made for my nieces and nephews. These are the kinds of costumes I like to make. A little bit of sewing is required, but not more than a couple hours worth.

Needless to say, my young friend and I were both picturing the promise, but we were picturing it differently.

At Hancock’s, he blew past the child’s section of the pattern book and settled on the full-sized mascot section. He wanted to be a panther. The pattern called for a 2.5 foot wide head made of glued foam within a casing of fur. Stunned, I told him I had never made anything like that before and wasn’t sure I could.

He sighed. “Oh, ok. Never mind. I just thought you said you could do anything. I thought you said I could ask for anything. I’ll be a astronaut, I guess.”

You can predict what happened next. I made that costume. I had planned to put together something for him in an afternoon. Three weeks later, I handed him the panther mascot costume he had dreamed of. I’ve rarely seen a happier kid. But my arthritic fingers hurt for days. The moral of the story? Be careful what you promise.

Today I thought of that story when I started to pray.

I have been bringing God a couple of requests for years now, and I just don’t see them taking shape. Today I found myself muttering to Him, “Never mind. I just thought you said You could do anything. I thought you said I could ask for anything. I’ll just try to forget these hopes, I guess.”

Immediately, I felt Him remind me of the”costume promise” I made to my young friend, and how I fulfilled my promise, even though it wore me out to do so. The Holy Spirit spoke into my heart, “You have limitations, so you need to be careful what you promise, Nika. But I don’t have to be careful what I promise. It is never a matter of limitation. Only timing. If I say I am going to do it, I am going to do it.”

That is what He is speaking over you today.

Here is Matthew 7:7-11 in the NLT:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

Here is Matthew 7:7-11 in The Message:

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?”

Matthew 7:7-11 is a promise, but you and God may be picturing it differently. I’m guessing the main difference would be timing. But it is not a matter of limitations. And it is definitely not a matter of interest. God is interested! He wants to delight you! If I would knock myself out to make a panther costume from scratch, and if you would knock yourself out to do whatever you do, know that God is willing to do even more.